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Is man free to choose God?

The human will is not free. It is bound in sin and he need God to free his will to choose God. That’s what happens at salvation. God liberate the sinful human will and gives him freedom to choose God. God give the irresistible desire burning in his heart to seek and serve God. Without this work of grace, the man continues to sin every day and has a lukewarm heart towards God and His Word. Remember passivity is also a choice. Many people say they do not reject Jesus, but they also show little to no spiritual life. The average person is caught in this passive will against Christ.

Reflect on the following verses:

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (Eph 2:1-5, NASB)

It’s clear that the unsaved person is spiritually dead. That he follow by NATURE the will of sin and the mind. He follow the spirit of disobedience and the desires of the flesh and mind. Now how does a person save himself from this state by his own will. The situation explained here is of someone who is injected by venom and paralyzed, without the will te help himself. He can sometimes reveal a form of morality by saying he wants a better life and even pick up his Bible and began to read. However, the flesh always win and after days, weeks and months he is back where he was. The deep desire to serve God continue lacking. The section also makes it clear that it is only God by devine grace and mercy that touch the sinner free his will. Without the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit, the average man on the street passively stand before God and think that he has nothing against God, but his heart is numb and without love for God.